Critically Reviewing Current American Health Policy and the Need for Change

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As we are in the center of a presidential campaign where several politicians are debating the need for a huge health reform, it is important to talk about the current health care policy focusing so heavily on cost and relatively little on quality. Health insurance remains a big topic in American policy, with critical discussions about affordable care provision and the overall expense of health care. The purpose of health care coverage is to separate individuals from high cost pressures on health care and to promote access to health care. Policies linked to coverage influence how Americans receive health care, how insurance companies are compensated for it, and what benefits they do and don’t provide. Debates on whether to minimize the amount of individuals lacking health care, if Americans will have to be compensated for their employers, whether their deductibles are too big, or whether to adjust the rates needed by government compensation plans, fall into this range.

There are three aspects of health care reform to address in the American health care system: quality, expense and access. Cost and quality are the two groups that are similarly relevant individually. Improving access to health care will increase the cost for consumers, and payers. Often we will allow health care alterations that have a significant effect on access, quality and cost. While examining health care policies, it is important to analyze, consider and talk about the consequences for cost, quality and access. According to the U.S System Performance graphic on the Edx page, the speaker displays the 2011 Health Cost Per Capita. The United States becomes the most wealthy country in the world. The reader made a brilliant point that because we invest too much money relative to other nations, one would conclude that we are better off. This is the furthest from the truth, there are certain inherent expenses, such as the gross domestic (GDP) that can be described as the overall value of the economy. Many times when healthcare is brought up in conversation, I question, why are we not afforded the opportunity to have universal healthcare, sure many countries have adopted this and even implemented this policy.

While certain analysts can see problems affecting the health care system as interrelated, the public frequently focuses at a given moment on one or two concerns that are more relevant for the government to address. For starters, when questioned in April 2006 what they felt were the two most significant health or health care problems to be resolved by the government, Americans listed health insurance expenses as a main concern (39%), followed by uninsured/ access to treatment (25%) and Medicare/seniors’ health care (14%). 1% ranked standard of treatment as one of the most critical primary and/or health service concerns (Kaiser Family Foundation Poll 2006b).

Referencing the textbook, Delivering Healthcare in America by Leiyu Shi mentions many people opted out of enrolling in health insurance through an employer because of fear or not being able to financially afford premiums (Shi & Singh 2014). People choosing not to be covered by an insurance company causes many to be insured resulting in high medical bills and debt. Again this is another issue that shines a light on the cost of healthcare in America being insane which results in people sacrificing their health due to financial fears. To help combat the issue of having many citizens not being able to afford health care the Obama Administration implemented The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. This act was one of the most successful reforms in U.S History. This is influential because citizens do not have to supplement quality of care due to lack of funds. Sacrifices like these are being made often by working citizens. It is inhumane and unethical for citizens, hopefully the current presidential candidates deeply consider universal healthcare with no stipulations and restrictions like pre existing medical conditions making access to care beneficial and convenient for everyone at no cost.

It seems like the policy makers and the government have their work cut out to make the U.S Healthcare better but is beneficial in the long run.

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